Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;bobwhite&#39;

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Bobwhtie’ characterized by its large sized blooms with white ray florets and good branching; natural season flower date September 20-27; blooming for a period of 4 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Bobwhite’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoorpot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating newchrysanthemum cultivars with a decorative type flower, a natural seasonflower date around September 20-27; blooming for a period of 4 weeks.The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinctcultivar of Chrysanthemum plant ‘Bobwhite’ is a seedling resulting froma crossing program, which was set up by a previous breeder, and whichrecords are unknown to the inventor. The new and distinct cultivar wasdiscovered and selected as a flowering plant by Mark Roland Boeder on acultivated field in Rijsenhout The Netherlands in 2001. The first act ofasexual production of ‘Bobwhite’ was accomplished when vegetativecuttings were taken from the initial selection in 2001 in a controlledenvironment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands, and propagated further atthis location. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctivecharacteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands undernatural day length and temperature and planted week 24 in 2001. Thenatural blooming date of this crop was September 20-27 (week 39). Theaverage height of the plants was 23 cms. No growth retardants were used.No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. Notests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produceslarge sized white blooms with a cream center flowering for a period of 4weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘Bobwhite’ is ‘Jason’. (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,609)When ‘Jason’ and ‘Bobwhite’ are being compared the followingsimilarities and differences are noticed: Both varieties have largesized white blooms. The differences of ‘Jason’ and ‘Bobwhite’ are (1)Plant vigor. The plants of ‘Jason’ are more vigorous than those of‘Bobwhite’. (2) Bloom type. The bloom of ‘Jason’ are daisy type, whilethose of ‘Bobwhite’ are decorative.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘BOBWHITE’ as a new and distinct variety. The colordesignations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 1995. TABLE 1 Botanical Description of chrysanthemum plant‘BOBWHITE’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.4 cm, height 0.5 cm OutsideColor Yellow-green 145D-147D Involucral bracts 2 rows, length 7 mm,width 3 mm Involucral bracts among disc-florets Not present Involucralbracts color Green 137B Bloom Type Decorative Height 1.5 cm Size LargeFully Expanded 6-6.5 cm Peduncle length 3.5-5 cm Peduncle color Green137B-143A Number of blooms per branch Approx. 5-6 blooms per branchPerformance on the plant 4 weeks Seeds Produced in small quantities,ovate grey-brown 199A, 1½ mm in length. Fragrance Typical chrysanthemum,slightly Color Center of the flower Immature Yellow 2D Mature Yellow 2DColor of upper surface of the ray- Yellow-white 158D florets Color ofthe lower surface of the Yellow-white 158D ray-florets Tonality fromDistance A garden mum with white flowers and a cream disc Discolorationto color Yellow-white 158D Ray florets Texture Upper and under sidesmooth Number 160-170 Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of majorityStraight Length of corolla tube 0.4 cm Ray-floret margin EntireRay-floret length 2.1 cm Ray-floret width 0.5 cm Ratio length/width HighShape of tip Dentate Disc florets Absent Receptacle shape Conical raisedReproductive Organs Stamen Absent Styles Thin Style color Yellow 13AStyle Length 3 mm Stigma color Yellow-green 144A Stigma Width 1 mmOvaries Enclosed in calyx Plant Form Grown as a spray type potmum,outdoor mounded and round Growth habit Compact and spherical shapeGrowth rate Low Height 23 cm Width 33 cm Stem Color Grey-brown 199C StemStrength Weak Stem Brittleness Not brittle Stem Anthocyanin ColorationAbsent Internode length 1-2 cm Length of lateral branch From top tobottom 13 cm Lateral branch color Green 137C-141C Lateral branch,attachment Medium strength Branching (average number of Good with 7-8breaks after lateral branches) pinching Natural season blooming dateSeptember 20-27 Foliage Leaf color Upper side Green 137B-137C Lower sideGreen 137C-138B Color midvein Upper side Yellow-green 147D Lower sideYellow-green 148D Size Small; length 3.5-4.5 cm, width 2-3 cm Quantity(number per lateral 25-28 branch) Shape Ovate/obovate Texture upper sideGlabrous Texture under side Pubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shapeof the margin Serrated Shape of Base of Sinus Between Rounded LateralLobes Margin of Sinus Between Lateral Diverging Lobes Shape of BaseAcute Apex Mucronulate Petiole length 0.3-0.5 cm Petiole colorYellow-green 147D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties ‘Bobwhite’ ‘Jason’Bloom size 6-6.5 cm 6-7 cm Bloom type Decorative Daisy Color upper sideray-florets Yellow-white 158D White 155D Growth rate low high

1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant as described andillustrated.